THE Supreme Court has been patiently watching, undoubtedly with a sense of frustration and concern similar to that being felt by the nation, as the government has vacillated, to the very last, on implementing its decision on the NRO. Where proceedings have been initiated the prosecution has failed to pursue the case by simply adopting a silence or a refusal to put forward evidence. So those charged in these cases, primarily part of the present set-up or close to the present leadership, have been cleared of corruption charges. The role of the NAB has also been called into question on account of the foot dragging in terms of the SCs NRO decision; while the NAB Prosecutor General, Dr Danishwar Malik, has shown what could be regarded as mala fide intentions with regard to the reopening of the NRO cases, especially the Swiss cases relating to the President. So it was not surprising to find the SC finally lose patience and move more vigorously to get its NRO decision implemented. Pakistan is surely unique in that the Supreme Court has to act to get its verdicts implemented by the state With the arrest of former Additional DG FIA, Riaz Shaikh, on Tuesday, NAB has also been moved into action and on Wednesday the SC was informed that letters had been sent by NAB to the Swiss authorities. This movement came after the SC declared that the NAB Chairman could be sent to jail and anyone who claims immunity would have to ascertain this from the SC. One hopes that the accountability required under the SC NRO decision will now move substantively. A big disadvantage is that there are no independent prosecutors and that minus point has been only too apparent in the last few weeks. In fact, the displeasure of the SC towards the NAB Prosecutor Generals behaviour was so pronounced that it sought to proceed against his removal, which the government moved on, and on Wednesday he was dismissed from service. The problem is that unless things come to a head, nothing happens in the normal course of events. The government has shown a total disregard for the law and for the judiciary in the manner in which it has reacted to the NRO verdict and its implementation. It has, in fact, sought to have a deliberate confrontation with the judiciary in an attempt to give a political colour to a judicial verdict and accountability. Yet this is a defining moment for the country for it may see proper accountability right from the top down for the first time in its history. If the SC can ensure the NRO verdict is implemented in letter and spirit, then there is hope that other crucial issues on which the SC is proceeding or has proceeded will also see closure in a just manner.